Primary battery.



E. G. DODGE.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

urmoumn FILED AUG.23, 1910.

Patented Mar. 24, 19%

EIBEN G. DODGE, OF MAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS,

TO NEW JERSEY PATENT COMPANY, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORA-TION OF NEW JERSEY.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

Divided and this application filed August 23,

1910. Serial No. 578,515.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EBEN G. Doncn, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Maplewood, Essex county, New Jersey, have made a certain newand useful Invention in Primary Batteries, of which the following is adescription.

My invention relates to improvements 1n primary or voltaic batteries ofthat class in which the negative electrode consists of a plate of oxidof copper or other depolarizing agent properly molded and agglomerated,and the positive electrode consists of a plate or plates of zinc.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 501,821,'filed June 12, 1909, entitled improvements in primary battery, and isan improvement on the invention described in my Patent No. 894,487 forprimary batteries, granted July 28, 19 08, and the object of myinvention is to simplify, cheapen, and render more efficient theconstruction of batteries of the above described class. I

My invention consists further in the details'of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure1 illustrates a vertical section through a battery embodying myinvention, shown partly in section and partly in side elevation. Fig. 2is a transverse vertical section through the same. Fig. 3 is afragmentary side elevation showing one manner of mounting the positiveelements in relation to the negative element of the battery, and Fig. 4is a section on line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a, bottom view of thedivided insulator for separating the plates shown in Figs. 3 and 4, andFig. 6 is a perspective v1ew of the same.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates an ordinary containing jarpreferably of porcelain and provided with the usual cover 2 alsopreferably of porcelain. The numeral 3 indicates a frame orhanger-preferably constructed of a-strip of sheet copper or copperplated iron, the edges of said strip being turned up to suchan extent asto lie flat against the bevel edges of the negative electrode plate 4.The whole hanger 3 is preferably given the form of an inverted U, thetwo arms of which hold the edges of the negative plate 4. The upperportion of the frame or hanger 3 is supported by the cover 2 of thebattery in any convenient manner, as by means of the plate 5 which iscountersunk in the cover 2, the hanger 3 being supported from said plate5 by means of the screw 6 and butterfly nut 7 the hanger 3 beingprovided With a suitable bearing 8 on the upper portion of the yokethereof for the screw 6. The cross piece 9 is provided as indicated,bemg mounted upon the top of the negative plate 4 and secured to the twoarms of the hanger 3. The bottoms of the arms of the hanger 3 are bentinwardly as shown at 10 to form a bottom support for the plate 4.

In the form of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the positiveplates 11, which are preferably of zinc as stated, are supported, asindicated, with the upper ends thereof some distance below the top ofthe negative plate 4. The provision of this form of mounting of theplates is one of the features of my invention, as I find that therebythe electrolytic action of the cell results in a more uniform utilizatonof the negative plate, 4, than when the tops of the positive plates 11are level with the top of thenegative plate 4 in the ordinary manner.The action ofthe cell at the upper portion of the plates is alwaysmoreenergetic than toward the bottom of the plates. Hence, with thepositive plates having their upper edges level with the upper edges ofthe negative plate, the latter is reduced much more rapidly in thisportion, so that finally, the unreduced portion of the negative platehas the form of an elongated inverted V. With the manner of mountinghere illustrated, however, and the beveling of the negative plate abovethe top of the positive plates in the manner indicated, a much moreuniform reduction of the negative plate ensues during the action of thecell, whereby waste of the material comprising the negative plate isavoided and the life of the cell is increased.

As illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2, the insulator 12 of any suitablematerial is inserted through the opening,13 in the cross a piece 9, thesides of this opening being tapered as shown, and the bolt 14 passedthrough the center of the insulator 12, the positive plates 11 beingjoined one to either end of this bolt 14 by means of connections 15soldered or otherwise suitably secured to the plates 11 and mounted onthe bolt 14, the parts being firmly drawn together by means of the nut16.

The insulator 12 may consist of two parts 27 and 28, and has taperedportions engaging the tapered sides of the opening 13 in the cross piece9.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, theinsulator 12 is composed of two tapered members 17 and 18. Theconnections 15 and bolt 14 shown in Fig. 2 are, in this form of myinvention, made in one integral bent piece 19, which is adapted to passthrough a recess formed one-half in each of the co-acting vertical facesof the split insulator 12'. The tapered members 17 and 18 of thisinsulator are adapted to be forced into position, one on each side ofthe member 19 within the opening 13 of the cross piece 9, one of themembers of the insulator being forced in from one side of the plate 4and the other from the other side, until the shoulders 20 and 21 of theinsulators 17 and 18 contact the outer surfaces of the opposite sides ofcross piece 9 respectively. The connecting member 19 is formed with alug 22 turned up thereon, this lug being adapted to contact the innersurface of the recess 23 formed on the adjacent ends of insulatormembers'17 and 18. The connecting member 19 is screw threaded beyond theopposite ends of insulator members 17 and 18, and is provided with a nut24 which is threaded on the screw threaded portion of member 19 and maybe drawn up to hold the parts tightly together, the leading out wire 25being secured between the insulator and the said nut 24.

In assembling the parts, the zincs 11 connected by the member 19 areplaced in position with the member 19 extended through the opening 13before the negative plate 4 is introduced into the frame. The negativeplate 4 is then introduced and secured in the frame, and the taperedmembers 17 and 18 of the insulator slipped into position.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent is as follows 1. In a voltaic battery, the combination Iof a negative electrode plate and a pair of positive electrode plates,said positive plates being supported one on each side of said negativeplate and substantially parallel thereto, each of said positiveplatesbeing substantially co-extensive with said negative plate except at thetops of said plates, and the tops of said positive plates being 35located a considerable distance lower than the top of said negativeplate, said distance being sufficient to permit a substantially uniformutilization of said negative plate,

substantially as described.

2. In a voltaic battery, the combination of a negative electrode plate,a pair of positive electrode plates, all of said plates havingsubstantially the same width and the said negative plate havingconsiderably greater height than said positive plates, and means forsupporting said positive plates one on each side of said negative platewith the bottoms of all of said plates at substantially the same leveland with the tops of said positive plates a considerable distance belowthe top of said negative plate, said negative plate being beveledupwardly above the tops of said positive plates, substantially asdescribed;

3. In a voltaic battery, the combination of a copper oxid plate, a pairof zinc plates, all of said plates having substantially the same width,the copper oxid plate having considerably greater height than saidzincplates, and means for supporting said zinc plates one on each sideof said copper oxid plate with the bottoms of all of said plates atsubstantially the same level and. with the tops of said zinc plates aconsiderable distance below the top of said copper oxid plate, thecopper oxid plate being beveled upwardly above the tops of said zincplates, substantially as described.

4. In a voltaic battery, the combination of an electrode plate of onepolarity, a pair of electrode plates of opposite polarity thereof saidfirst named plate and electricallyv joining the same, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a 'voltaic battery, the combination of an electrode plate of onepolarity, a pair of electrode plates of opposite polarity thereto, asupporting cross piece, a split tapered insulator supported within atapered recess in said cross piece, and means passing through andsupported by said insulator for supporting said pair of plates one oneach side of said first named plate and electrically joining the same,said means'having a lug adapted to contact with one end of said splitinsulator and being screw threaded and provided with a nut beyond theother end of said insulator, for drawing said parts firmly together,substantially as described.

and means supported by said insulator and passing through a recessformed in the cooperating members of the same, for supporting andjoining electrically said pair of plates, substantially as described.

7. In a voltaic battery, the combination with positive and negativeelements, of a supporting frame therefor including a cross piece havingan opening the sides of which are tapered, an insulating member having atapered portion adapted to be secured in the opening of the cross pieceand supported thereby, and means for securing some of said elements tothe said insulator, substantially as described.

8. In a voltaic battery, the combination with an electrode plate of onepolarity and a pair of electrode plates of opposite polarity thereto, ofa supporting cross piece having an opening with tapered sides, aninsulator having a tapered portion supported by said cross piece andcoasting with the tapered sides thereof, and means for supporting saidpair of lates from said insulator, substantially as escribed.

9. In a voltaic battery, the combination with positive and negativeelements, of a supporting frame having a channel-shaped cross pieceprovided with tapered openings in the channel walls, an insulator havingtapered portions adapted to be received in said openings and supportedfrom the cross piece, and means for securing some of said elements tosaid insulator, substantially as described.

10. In a voltaic battery, a supporting frame for battery elementsincluding a channel-shaped cross piece provided with tapered openings inthe channel walls, substantially is described.

11. In a voltaic battery, a supporting frame for battery elementsincluding a channel-shaped cross piece provided with tapered openings inthe channel walls, and an insulator supported by the said cross pieceand in the said openings, substantially as described.

12 In a voltaic battery, a supporting frame for battery elementsincluding a cross piece having depending lips provided with downwardlytapered openings, substantially as described.

13. In a voltaic battery, a supporting frame for battery elementsincluding a cross piece having depending lips provided with downwardlytapered openings, and an insulator supported by the said cross piece andin the said openings, substantially as described.

4 This specification signed and witnessed this 19th day of August 1910.

EBEN G. DODGE.

Witnesses:

ANNA R. KEEHM, JOHN BURKE.

